Tehran - Iranian opposition leader Mir-Hossein Moussavi would make his first public appearance since the June 12 presidential election in Friday's prayer ceremony in Tehran, his website reported Wednesday. Moussavi said that he would join his supporters at the Friday prayers, which are to be led by the moderate ex-president Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani in the university in central Tehran.
Both Moussavi and Rafsanjani have not yet acknowledged the re- election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and Moussavi has accused the government and the constitutional watchdog Guardian Council of election fraud.
Former president Mohammad Khatami and former parliament speaker Mehdi Karroubi, both fierce opponents of the president, are expected to attend Friday's prayer ceremony.
Observers believe that with the presence of top opposition figures at the weekly ceremony, a lot of their supporters would rush to Tehran university and hence turn the prayers into a political happening.
The Friday prayer ceremonies have so far been a podium for the conservative wing of the Iranian establishment.
Rafsanjani, who backed Moussavi in the election, will give his first public appearance since Ahmadinejad last month accused him and his family of corruption.
The moderate cleric has so far kept silent, though he has reportedly given Ahmadinejad a written note over his accusations, but the contents has not yet been disclosed.
The Friday prayer this week is the first public podium for the country's opposition since the June 12 election, after the Interior Ministry has on several occasions denied permission for public protest gatherings.
The foreign press has not yet received definite permission to cover the ceremony, though covering Friday prayer ceremonies in the past never required special permission from the foreign press department of the Culture Ministry.
The foreign press is still banned from directly covering protest demonstrations or making contact with opposition figures.
Since the June 12 election, Moussavi has appeared only briefly in some of the protest gatherings but made no public appearances.
According to Iranian websites, Moussavi and his wife, Zahra Rahnavard, on Wednesday visited the family of the latest victim of the protest movement against alleged election fraud.
The Moussavis visited the family of 19-year-old Sohrab Aarabi, killed during protest demonstrations last month and buried Monday in Tehran.
According to official statistics, 28 people including 20 demonstrators and eight pro-Ahmadinejad Basij militia died in the protest demonstrations. Aarabi brings the death toll to 21.
Moussavi has reportedly decided to form a coalition front for continuing his protests against the government of Ahmadinejad.
